Sons of the Forest Ranged Weapons: Locations, Maps & Crafting Tips

While melee weapons work well against many basic cannibals and mutants, you’ll likely want bigger guns when it comes to tougher bosses. Fortunately, the island is scattered with weapons that pack a lot more punch. With ranged and firearm options, you’ll be well prepared for the rest of your Sons of the Forest adventure. If you want to learn more about melee, check out our previous post (Sons of the Forest: All melee weapons – locations, maps & crafting tips) . Now let’s look at every location and crafting option for ranged combat so you can gear up properly!

All ranged weapons in Sons of the Forest: locations, maps & tips

Ranged weapons are ideal for fighting larger mutants, letting you keep your distance and avoid hits more easily. Many late-game firearms also deal significantly more damage, which helps a lot in progressing through the story. However, almost all of these weapons require ammo—sometimes craftable, but often found—which balances their power and encourages you to reserve them for truly critical situations.

1. Stun Gun: It doesn’t deal direct damage but is incredibly useful. It fires a taser line that can stun enemies from afar (usually for about 5 seconds). This is extremely handy against larger groups! You can find it early on if you brave the northern cave to get the rebreather (Sons of the Forest Caves: Best Order, Locations & Tips) . It’s on a hanging body. The Stun Gun uses special Stun Gun ammo.

2. Slingshot: It may not seem strong at first, but it’s helpful in the early game. You’ll find it right outside the cave with the three impaled men, where you’ll later get the shovel. Its ammo is small stones you can pick up almost anywhere. Damage is low, but it’s great for hunting animals.

3. Pistol: You won’t get far without the classic pistol. It’s one of the most important weapons—for you and for Virginia, your future companion. Grab it right at the start by heading to the life raft off the west coast and taking it from your deceased teammate. Watch out for sharks! Ammo is scarce, but more common than for many later firearms. Save it for emergencies or give it to Virginia—she’s excellent with it and appears to use no ammo.

4. Compound Bow: You can craft a simple bow, but you’ll want to upgrade to a better one. Find it by digging out one of the maintenance bunkers in the southwest using the shovel. It deals more damage and is much more accurate. Arrows can be crafted, 3D-printed, or found. The bow is indispensable: silent and precise.

5. Revolver: More stopping power than the pistol with slightly less range—excellent at medium to short distances. Save its ammo (the same as the pistol) for tough mutants. You’ll find the revolver later in another maintenance bunker on the golf course in the northeast.

6. Rifle: For true long-range combat, the classic rifle is essential. It hits much harder than most melee options and lets you pick off targets from afar. It’s tough to find: look for the entrance on the west side of the large lake in the bottom-right of the map and fight your way through the massive cave system. You’ll need at least the rebreather. Ammo is rare and extremely valuable.

7. Crossbow: Essentially a better compound bow—very accurate with high damage (comparable to the rifle). Find it in the Food bunker in the northwest, which requires a keycard. It doesn’t use regular arrows; you need bolts, which you can often recover from downed enemies.

8. Shotgun: Hands-down the best standard weapon at close range—huge stopping power, limited range, and a bit slow. When mutants or cannibals get close, nothing beats it. It’s relatively easy to find once you’ve cleared the first three caves and obtained the shovel. The shotgun is buried with a teammate whose purple marker appears on your GPS in the northwest. Like the pistol, you can give the shotgun to Virginia.

Technically, the Cross also counts as a ranged option since it can burn demons. It’s only marginally effective against regular cannibals or mutants. You’ll find it in the same cave as the Rope Gun—equip it as soon as you encounter demons.

Crafting recipes for ranged combat in Sons of the Forest

Two particularly useful craftables support your early ranged play. The spear overlaps with melee and is a strong all-rounder for your first hours.

1. Spear: Crafted from 2x sticks, 1x duct tape, and a knife (as a tool). Good for thrusting and throwing, and you can retrieve it afterward. Perfect for early cannibal fights and hunting.

2. Crafted Bow (Improvised Bow): Use 2x sticks, 1x duct tape, and 1x rope to make a simple bow. Stone arrows are easy to craft and should be your first silent ranged weapon—ideal in caves to pick off mutants from a distance.

Conclusion: Use ranged weapons efficiently

The further you progress, the more important ranged weapons become. Because ammo is scarce, use them sparingly and save them for high-stakes moments. Hunt down every weapon together with friends—ideally by renting your own Sons of the Forest server from us. That way you’ll be better prepared for stronger mutants and can play through the story more comfortably and more safely.